Bonding Natural Baby Product Materials
Today’s parents have proven to be more earth-conscious; thus, being more concerned with the ingredients inside the products they purchase. That same mindset is being applied to their parenting and what they want their children to be exposed to; this is what’s fueling the market shift to baby diapers, pants and other baby products being comprised of majority “natural” ingredients.
The natural trend has progressed from niche to mainstream as industry leaders such as Procter & Gamble launched the Pampers Pure Collection in 2018, which includes premium cotton-made diapers and Kimberly-Clark released Huggies Special Delivery in the summer of 2019, which includes ultra-premium, plant-based diapers.
“We know that parents are looking for more and more natural ingredients, but they don’t want to sacrifice performance and softness. We developed Huggies Special Delivery to combine the three attributes we know parents want: superior performance, more plant-based fibers, and of course, the softest touch on baby’s skin,” said Sarah Inbau, Brand Manager, Huggies North America.
Following market leaders, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, major retailers such as Walmart (Hello Bello) and Amazon (Earth & Eden) have begun to sell diapers positioned to the earth-conscious, premium shopper. Today’s parents want the most ethical and responsible choice for their baby, and they’re willing to pay more to get it. To quantify this, the Nordson adhesive team sampled a few traditional brands and natural brands marketed online.
As seen in the chart below, brands with a natural claim have an average selling price of $0.50 per diaper, about twice that of traditional diapers.
When bonding natural materials to form disposable absorbent hygiene products, accuracy, and high performance is critical. Our newest high-speed applicators, including the innovative Trio Variable Dispense Applicator, provide customers with exceptional performance, flexibility, serviceability and cost of ownership. Nordson dispensing applicators can sustain consistent adhesive patterns while keeping up with high production speeds in challenging applications such as manufacturing baby diapers and pants, feminine napkins and liners, and adult incontinence briefs.
These applicators are compatible with Nordson’s industry-leading portfolio of non-contact spray and high-performance contact slot nozzles. They’re also compatible with our recently introduced Rhythm™ spray nozzles.
Rhythm nozzles provide non-crossing patterns that deliver uniform bonding and soft product features that are especially important in baby diaper applications. If you want all-around high performance, pair Trio applicators with Rhythm nozzles and Nordson VersaBlue® melters.
The VersaBlue melter’s precision gear metering and high-performance, variable-speed delivers premium accuracy and flexibility. Tank capacities of 12, 25, 50, and 100 liters accommodate up to four pumps for maximum versatility and features a progressive melt section. The adhesive is delivered to the point of application via PureFlow™ hoses, which are proven to reduce adhesive stress and degradation that can result in char, discoloration, and odor.
If you are using hot melt adhesive dispensing systems and interested in joining the trend of producing natural diapers, Nordson adhesive dispensing systems can easily integrate into your new production lines. Existing lines stand ready to support the trend, thereby minimizing investment. Nordson is also proud to offer support in over 57 countries for any purchasing or service needs.
This article was originally published on the Adhesive & Sealants Industry website.
During Alan’s 29-year career with Nordson, he has served in roles of increasing responsibility within design engineering, project engineering, product management, marketing and portfolio management, including roles focusing on nonwovens, packaging